MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani has said he hopes that Moscow will be able to influence the Syrian settlement, as Russia plays a big role in the Middle East. He was speaking on Monday at a meeting with speaker of Russia’s State Duma Sergey Naryshkin.

"We believe that Russia plays a big role in the world, especially in the Middle East," he said. "We look forward to Russia’s assistance to the Palestinian people in lifting the blockade of the Gaza Strip."

"We all condemn terrorism, fight against it, but it is important to define what terrorism is," Qatar’s emir went on to say. "Of course, the fight against terrorism is important, but it’s even more important to determine the causes of this phenomenon and deal with them."

He recalled that Qatar was part of the international coalition and also became part of the Islamic coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

"We have spoken out in favor of the political settlement in Syria since the very first day, we support all international organizations, which seek a political solution in Syria," he added.